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 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/nyregion/06shut.html Chronicle of a Changing City By COREY KILGANNON, December 4, 2009 IPODMEISTER, on 41st Avenue in Long Island City, will bring a smile (and an iPod or other electronic goody) to anyone hoping to liquidate a CD collection. The company was started by Kris Schrey, who said that when he tried to sell off his CDs a few years back he was humiliated by snarky music shop employees who ridiculed his musical taste and then lowballed him. Learning of the demand overseas for CDs and DVDs, Mr. Schrey started an online business through which a customer could mail in a CD library and receive an iPod, iPhone or other device based on the size of the collection. (An iPod can be had for 200 discs; more ground rules are at ipodmeister.com) |
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 http://abc7news.typepad.com/finneyblog/2010/04/swap-your-cds-and-dvds-for-a-free-ipad.html Swap your CDs and DVDs for a free iPad! Want an iPad or iPod but don't have the funds? Trade for one! There is a website that is willing to swap you an Apple product for your old CDs and DVDs. The rules are pretty intense and you have to give up a lot of discs (700 for the iPad) but this could be your ticket out of the disc world and into the digital. |
 http://www.newsweek.com/2008/09/12/r-i-p-dear-dvd.html |
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  http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/clean-your-closet-for-a-free-ipad/ Clean Your Closet for a Free iPad By: Eric A. Taub In the 1960s, my uncle made a good living buying up slightly imperfect Levis and reselling them at a steep discount in poor countries. That business model is being followed today by iPodMeister. The company, based in New York, takes your used CDs and DVDs, sends them off to poorer countries where people can't afford MP3 players, and gives you a new iPod, iPhone and now iPad in return. All genres of discs are accepted, with certain limitations. No porn, no scratched discs, no promotional discs, and 20 copies of your garage band's CD are verboten. The album cover art plus the CD folder must be intact and in good shape. Promotional compilation discs, such as “Macy's Favorite Christmas Songs” are not taken. Blu-ray discs get you double credit, and each disc of a multi-disc collection are counted. Shipping of the discs to iPodMeister is free.  http://www.viewpoints.com/thegoods/iPodMeister-Supports-Technology-Trade-In iPodMeister Supports Technology Trade-In September 14, 2010 Imagine a world where you can simply trade in technology and be in with the times, no purchase required – VCRs for DVD players, books for Kindles or CDs for an iPod. While we don’t have that luxury with every product just yet, the latter does exist. iPodMeister is a service that allows you to trade in your old CDs or DVDs for an iPod, iPad or smartphone. Sound too good to be true? Well, from what we hear, this is the real deal. How does it work? From perusing the website of the service, which has been around since 2004, it looks like iPodMeister won’t try to scam you if you don’t do the same to them. They make the terms very clear of what they will and will not accept, and the rules aren’t that strict. Don’t try to get away with sending in free give-away CDs, bootlegs or burned CDs because you won’t get them back if you don’t comply with rules. You may send in cracked cases as long as the CD art is intact. If you’ve already digitized your CDs, meaning you copied them to a computer or to your iTunes, for 199 CDs you can receive a Kindle or iPod Nano. Up the number to 749 and get an Apple iPad with WiFi. Other trade-ins include a Blackberry, Droid or external hard drive. The Fine Print iPodMeister gives directions on how to ship the CDs/DVDs (shipping is free within the contiguous 48 states), and all you have to pay for is a box. If you have under the amount needed for a certain device, you can send iPodMeister a check amounting to $1 per CD for up to 50 items. Shockingly, all devices are the newest models, packaged with warranties just as if they had come in stores. What’s in it for them? iPodMeister sells the discs to developing countries that are behind in technology. CDs worth pretty much nothing in the U.S. are generally more valuable abroad. Plus, this service is an environmentally friendly way to dispose of CDs. They can harm the environment if thrown out, and reuse is the only way to recycle them. |
 NYDIA HAN is the consumer & investigative reporter for Action News. One of most versatile broadcasters in the industry, Nydia wears many hats for Action News. Not only does she produce daily consumer reports and weekly in-depth special reports and investigations, she also covers big national stories for Action News. http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/consumer/save_with_6abc&id=7380608 Saving with 6abc: Exchange CDs for an iPod, iPhone, or iPad by Nydia Han | Monday, April 12, 2010 If you have a lot of old CDs lying around, pack them up and ship them out for free and then get a new iPod, iPhone, or even an iPad in return! It may sound too good to be true, but this is the real deal. It's compliments of iPodmeister.com. It'll take most CDs in good condition, but you have to have the original cardboard sleeve or the original jewel case and front and back album cover inserts. And you do have to collect a lot of CDs to get an i-product in return. For instance, for 220 discs, you'll get an 8-gigabyte iPod Nano. For 330 discs, you'll get a 16-gigabyte iPhone 3GS. And for 600 discs, you can get a 16 gigabyte iPad with Wifi! iPodMeister is a company based in New York and started by a group of artists and students. Apparently, while you can't get a lot for used CDs in the US, you can abroad! So iPodMeister collects CDs or DVDs here and then sells them in other countries for a pretty good profit. Shipping the discs to iPodMeister is free and for more CDs, the company will even digitize your music for you and send it back to you on a disc.   http://www.examiner.com/gadgets-in-newark/the-new-ipad-is-coming-here-s-a-great-way-to-get-a-free-ipad HERE'S A GREAT WAY TO GET A FREE iPAD! By: Peter Collins | March 12th, 2010 4:19 pm ET The new iPad is on the way! Here's one way to get an iPad and it will not cost a dime and could help you deal with all of those CDs and DVDs that are just lying around. Now, music and movie lovers can convert their old CDs and DVDs into a new iPad. How? If you have about 600 CDs and DVDs that you no longer want, then consider a company called ipodmeister.com. iPodMeister will exchange the 600 CDs and DVDs, with original sleeves and covers, for a new iPad with 16GB and Wi-Fi. A little more than 1,000 CDs and DVDs (1,050 to be exact) will get you an iPad with 32 GB, Wi-Fi, and 3G. The company iPodMeister, founded by a group of students and musicians in 2004, offers a new iPod, iPhone or iPad in exchange for used CDs and DVDs. The company's customers recycle their used CDs and iPodMeister finds new homes for them. Customers get a new iPod in exchange for their used CDs without having to pay for the device. All shipping and handling costs are covered by iPodMeister. Time to start counting those CDs! |
  http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2010/06/22/... Business plays disk jockey for Apple goodies Offers new must-haves for old CDs BY: Leigh Remizowski | Tuesday, June 22nd 2010, 10:48 AM ATTENTION all cash-strapped gadget geeks: Here's a chance to score some pricey electronics by dumping your disks instead of spending your dollars. Queens-based company iPodMeister offers techies around the country a chance to trade in their old CDs and DVDs for Apple products such as iPods, the much-coveted iPad and the soon-to-be released iPhone 4. "The fact is, they're really expensive," said Kris Schrey, who founded iPodMeister in 2004. "So we offer people a way to get a very expensive device with no money." iPodMeister swaps dusty music collections for brand-new electronics. iPods "cost" 180 to 500 CDs or DVDs, iPhones go for 180 to 600 and iPads run 700 to 1,600 disks, depending on hard-drive size and features. Customers can also trade for external hard drives. Since offering the iPad in mid-May, iPodMeister has "sold" more than 100 of the trendy gadgets, and customers are preordering the iPhone 4 - which will be released Thursday - "like crazy," Schrey said. "This is truly without any tricks, gimmicks or fees," he said. He even e-mails customers prepaid FedEx labels so they can ship their CDs to iPodMeister's Long Island City office for free. Schrey's staff of about 20 college students and artists sort through the CDs and DVDs, making sure they aren't scratched or water damaged and that they correspond with the cases they were sent in. The disks are then sorted by genre and sold overseas, based on a country's demand for that type of music or movie. "Maybe your taste has changed, but someone in a foreign country will listen to it," Schrey said. Alan Rubenstein, a technical writer who lives in Manhattan, turned to iPodMeister in February when he decided it was time to upgrade from his five-year-old MP3 player to an iPod Classic. "I had all these CDs that I never played, so it seemed like a no-brainer," said Rubenstein, 57, who had stored all his music on an external hard drive. "There's no real reason to have the hard copies anymore," said Ryan Licata, 36, of Amherst, N.Y. He turned in 340 CDs and DVDs in exchange for a hard drive. "It was a good way to recycle them and get something in return," he said. By collecting hundreds of thousands of CDs each year, Schrey and his staff have created a network of foreign buyers and have learned several tricks of the trade. He knows that classical music sells best in Taiwan and Korea, jazz compilations are popular in Europe and that mass-produced pop CDs like Britney Spears albums are virtually worthless. "The case will sell for 20 cents, but the CD is only worth 1 cent," Schrey said. |
 Michael Essany is a nationally published writer and columnist who has worked for E! Entertainment Television and BBC4. Michael has a passion for cutting edge mobile technologies and related news. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2005 as a Lumina Scholar from Valparaiso University. http://modmyi.com/forums/ipad-news/704454-ipodmeister-starts-junk-ipad-exchange.html Starts Junk for iPad Exchange Posted March 22, 2009 | Michael Essany Those of us who have considered renting a small apartment just to house the physical CDs we've accumulated in the last two decades may discover a deal worth looking into from iPodMeister. The company famous for trade-ins (your old CDs in exchange for a new iPod, iPhone) is now getting into the business of iPad even-exchanges. And all it requires is a boatload of your digital media. Reputable and secure, iPodMeister has reduced the digital clutter of many in return for a pretty sweet payload. And with the iPad tossed into the mix, its a safe bet that thousands of CDs collecting dust will soon see the light of day yet again. |
 Kris Schrey talks about iPodMeister.com I spoke to the CEO of iPodMeister.com, Kris Schrey. The company, based in New York, takes your used CDs and DVDs, sends them off to poorer countries where people can't afford MP3 players, and gives you a new iPod, iPhone and now iPad in return. You can listen to the audio file directly by clicking on this link. |
 http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/personal-finance/lifestyle-money/personal-technology/ipad-alternative--dells-new-phone/ You can also try to get a free Apple (AAPL: 229.37, 0.97, 0.42%) iPad through iPodMeister. Created in 2004, the iPodMeister service offers free Apple products in exchange for your old CDs. The latest offer: a 16GB iPad will cost you 600 CDs and DVDs. |
 Before you stash your old CDs in the basement next to your LPs and eight-track tapes, consider recycling them. Kris: "What we basically offer people is a brand new iPod or iPhone, in exchange for their used CDs or DVDs." Kris Schrey started iPodMeister.com a few years ago when iPods first hit the market. Kris: "The iPods and iPhones are brand new, not factory-refurbished, not last year's model..." 150 CDs will get you an iPod Nano. Schrey turns around and then ships the CDs to other countries. Kris: "Overseas, there's still a market for CDs, especially in countries where people don't have 200 or 300 bucks for an iPod." Sean Adams, WCBS. |
 http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-10399435-58.html Trade CDs, DVDs for an iPod or iPhone by Rick Broida, November 17, 2009 6:46 AM PST Forget Craigslist. Forget eBay. Forget garage sales. Do you want to spin that jewel-cased straw into gold? Head to iPodMeister, where you can trade your old CDs for a brand-new hard drive, iPod, or even iPhone. Here's how it works: You pack up your CDs (or DVDs), then e-mail the company to let them know how many boxes you have. It then sends you prepaid FedEx labels. That's right: iPodMeister covers the shipping cost. Interestingly, iPodMeister also gives you the option of digitizing your CD collection, meaning you get back not only your free gadget, but also a set of DVDs containing your music in (presumably) MP3 format. But that "costs extra" (meaning more discs). My guess is most folks have already ripped their CDs to MP3s. I'll admit that all this sounds a little too good to be true, but I've yet to find a single complaint about the company. For your reference, check out Consumerist's recent interview with iPodMeister, this guy's review of the service from March, and the company's Facebook page. Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog. |
 Abbas Sayed was born in India and now lives in Chicago, IL. Over the last seven years he has worked at companies such as Google and Microsoft. He is the founder and main contributor to TNerd, a blog about new technologies and concepts. Abbas has channeled his passion and enthusiasm about new technologies into TNerd which services a large community of techies and gadget aficionados in the United States and overseas. http://tnerd.com/2009/11/18/ipodmeister-exchange-used-cd’s-and-dvd’s-for-ipod-nano-ipod-touch-iphone-3g3gs-or-a-hard-disk-drive/ iPodMeister – Exchange used CD’s and DVD’s for iPod Nano, iPod Touch, iPhone 3G/3Gs or a Hard Disk Drive! Posted by Abbas || November 18, 2009 iPodMeister operates on a very interesting business model of exchanging used CD’s and DVD’s for iPod Touch, iPod Nano, iPhone 3G/3G S and HDD’s. Users interested in exchange are supposed to send an e-mail to promo@ipodmeister.com with the following information to receive free Fedex shipping labels. (Don’t even spend on shipping) •First + last name •Complete address •Phone number (required) •Number of CDs and DVDs in each box •Number of boxes Once the boxes and labels arrive, just put the CD’s or DVD’s and ship it back. Users will receive the exchange item as per their request or based on the exchange chart. |
 http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/34597819.html See ya, CDs. It's time to convert to digital files by Randy Salas | November 18, 2008 - 6:10 AM After years of resistance, this music fan is ready to join the iPod generation. But where do you start when you have 2,000 CDs? [… ]The simplest option is to rip the discs manually using your computer and iTunes, Windows Media Player or any number of freeware programs (see www.download.com). The only expense would probably be an external hard drive to store the data and backup DVDs. But converting a collection my size would probably take at least 200 hours. […] I finally found the solution in iPodMeister (www.ipodmeister.com; 1-877-476-3237). The New York-based company is now ripping my entire collection at my stipulated 320 kbps conversion rate and putting it on a high-capacity external hard drive and backup DVDs. It's also giving me two 120-gigabyte iPod Classics and some cash (amount to be determined once the job is done). That includes shipping both ways.  http://news.softpedia.com/news/Give-Away-Your-Old-CDs-Nab-a-Free-iPad-138076.shtml Nab a Free iPad Company cleans out your closet, gives you an Apple portable in exchange iPodMeister, a company known to offer brand new iPods and iPhones in exchange for used CDs and DVDs, has announced an initiative to extend its program to include the new Apple iPad. Although requiring double, or even triple the amount of discs in exchange for a unit, compared to what they ask for an iPhone 3GS, the deal is quite attractive and, from what we hear, completely legit. Basically, the deal requires you to bring in (ship) as many CDs and DVDs as you can (no matter how old they are). iPodMeister’s business is to collect your discarded discs, give you an Apple device in return, and sell your CDs and DVDs for a profit in other countries. They claim that all iPods, iPhones and iPads used in its promotion are brand new, complete with full Apple warranty. They offer free pick-up and shipping in the US and, according to The New York Times' Gadgetwise blog, the deal is legit. Softpedia note: From where we stand, only people who take good care of their media will be able to benefit from this offer. We love the idea of the person who is careful enough not to scratch or damage their CDs and DVDs, but would give them away for an iPod nano without even blinking. Still, iPodMeister does have a pretty solid argument: “Many people are reluctant to part with their CDs even though they are just collecting dust and taking up space. It is easier to declutter if one knows that one’s CD collection will be appreciated again.” |
  http://consumerist.com/2009/11/ipodmeister-takes-used-cds-dvds-gives-you-ipods.html iPodMeister Takes Used CDs, DVDs, Gives You iPods By Phil Villarreal, 10:50 AM on Mon Nov 16 2009, 7293 views Phil Villarreal: What do you do with the DVDs and CDs you accept? iPodMeister: Nothing is thrown away. Over the years, we have developed relationships to other companies that buy everything from us, even loose CDs without cover art and jewel case. We get these CDs because some customers misplace a CD into an incorrect cover, i.e. we end up with a loose CDs without cover art or original case. We export in bulk, different genres to different countries, e.g. classical music is in great demand in Korea and Taiwan. There is even a market for radio edits (CDs that are being sent to radio stations which contain several versions of the same hit track, e.g. just the vocals, just instrumental, call out, etc.). Most of our business is international. Phil Villarreal: Do multi-disc DVDs (season series, etc.) count as just one DVD? iPodMeister: No, all sets count by the number of physical CDs in the set, e.g. the famous Led Zeppelin boxset counts as four because it has four CDs inside. Phil Villarreal: What happens if someone sends in a box that has less than 150 DVDs or CDs? iPodMeister: Every customer has the option of substituting cash for up to 50 missing items at a rate of $1/item. Example: if you have 117 items but want an iPod that requires 150 items, you would simply include a check for $33 made out to ‘iPodMeister" together with your shipment. We couldn't help you if you only had 95 items because you would then have to substitute more items than allowed (maximum = 50). Bottom line about paying cash instead of sending CDs: we are not in the business of selling iPods. We just want to give people a chance to participate in the trade who are a couple of items short. Our CDs-for-iPod barter is so attractive for most folks because they are recycling old CDs and DVDs they don't longer use and are getting a brand new iPod without paying for it in cash. iPods and iPhones are the hot gadgets of the moment and great Xmas gifts. iPodMeister offers an opportunity to give a great gift without having to come up with purchase price in cash. |
 Digital City: How did you get the idea for this business? Kris: After the dot-com implosion, I wanted to simplify my life, and examined all my worldly possessions. De-cluttering was quite liberating; giving up “stuff” set me free. The car went back to the leasing company. Suits and ties went to a therapist friend. “Early adapter” purchases, like the Apple Newton, a Psion PDA, and one of the first digital cameras from Sony, went on eBay. I donated a 75-pound heavy color laser printer that had cost $5,000 to the East-West school in Queens. Getting rid off my unused CDs was the most difficult task. I didn’t want to throw them in the garbage because CDs are very difficult for the environment to break down. Trying to sell my CDs to used record stores was a humbling and humiliating experience. First of all, I had to get all my CDs in a cab and travel across town. The guy in the first store towered on a bar stool behind a desk on some stage and made smacking noises while he went through my collection. He quipped that he was only interested in “high art” and then made a ridiculous lowball offer. I walked out and had to cough up another $12 for a second cab ride. It started to rain and the handles of the bags I was carrying were giving in. The second store felt like a shooting gallery where cunning junkies were dealing in stolen loot. Unfortunately, only a handful of my 320 CDs were to their liking. Another cab ride later I was standing in front of a guy who put on a theatrical performance trying to convince me how disgusting my taste in music was. How dare I bring such crap to his store! It took me another $20 to get back home with my whole collection intact. I hadn’t sold a single item! That rainy afternoon taught me that it was very difficult to recycle your used CD collection and keep your human dignity intact. I have lived in New York for many years and I just didn’t like this feeling of being a sucker. Money aside, I wanted to make sure that somebody would appreciate my collection as much as I did when I bought it over the years. That afternoon, the idea for iPodMeister was born. Digital City: What's the biggest amount you've received from one person? Kris: 7986 CDs from a former record executive who lived on Central Park West. All the walls in his living room were covered from floor to ceiling with shelves holding his collection. His wife threatened divorce unless he got rid of his collection. He finally gave in. They got divorced anyway. He moved into the YMCA around the corner. Digital City: How long does it take to digitize a collection of 300 CDs? Kris: Two hours and fifty-three minutes. Digital City: Over the years of doing this, are there any CDs you've decided to keep for yourself? Kris: Yes, for example the historical Classical recordings of the now defunct Andante label. They left them behind in a Tribeca loft when the company went belly up and the landlord used them to barter with us. Digital City: What are you currently listening to? Kris: Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, conducted by Karl Boehm with Walter Gieseking at the piano. |
 http://www.rd.com/home-garden/hello-layaway-goodbye-cds-and-dvds/article112925.html |
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 http://technofriends.in/2009/11/18/get-ipods-and-iphones-in-exchange-for-used-cds-and-dvds-with-ipodmeister/ |
 http://www.tonic.com/article/ipodmeister-trade-cds-dvds-for-iphone-ipod-or-hard-drive/ Used CDs + DVDs = New iPhone, iPod or Hard Drive By Marc Hertz | Wednesday, November 18, 2009 Marc Hertz is Tonic's CSR (corporate social responsibility) blogger, who brings with him more than a decade of editorial experience, including stints as a columnist in Honolulu and a movie reviewer in San Francisco, and an author for CareerBuilder and Yahoo! Hot Jobs. He lives with his wife in the Bay Area. |
 http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0727biz-ipodmeister0727.html 2 Internet businesses create way to exchange CDs for iPods by Andrew Johnson | Jul. 27, 2006 12:00 AM Scottsdale resident Michael Edwards didn’t have to shell out $400 to get his 60-gigabyte video iPod or spend hours converting hundreds of CDs into digital files in order to listen to them on the MP3 player. All Edwards had to do was ship his CD collection, which he said had been “sitting on a shelf collecting dust,” to iPodmeister, a New York City-based business that gives people new iPods in exchange for CDs. Edwards, a self described “gadget freak,” said he was a little skeptical before doing the exchange … In the end, Edwards said, he got a new iPod “for no money out of pocket.” |
 http://www.startribune.com/science/blogs/technobabble.html?c=155871&cs=3051 Trade unwanted discs for an iPod by Randy Salas | November 5, 2009 - 2:17 PM “With the holidays coming up, it might be a good time to check out iPodMeister to get a gift for yourself or someone on your list. I first wrote about the New York-based company a year ago, and I still get reader inquiries about it. iPodMeister takes your unwanted CDs and DVDs in trade for new iPods, iPhones and high-capacity external hard drives. For as few as 150 discs, you can get an 8GB iPhone 3G or a 1.5-terabyte hard drive; 250 discs will get you a 16GB iPod Nano, 350 discs a 32GB iPhone 3GS and 500 discs (the max) a 64GB iPod Touch.” |
 into a new iPod! |
 http://blog.timesunion.com/simplerliving/swap-your-old-cds-for-a-new-ipod/2917/ Turn your old CDs into a new iPod by Naomi Seldin | January 2, 2009 at 12:00 pm I stumbled across iPodMeister over the holidays, and since I’m interested in getting rid of some of my old music, I thought it was worth sharing: Send iPodMeister 150 or more old CDs or DVDs in exchange for a new iPod. According to its Web site, iPodMeister will also pay for shipping. |
 “My friends are shocked I got a free iPod. They want to touch it and make sure it’s real,” said Chuck Haile, of New York’s Brooklyn borough, who several months ago traded more than 650 CDs for a new iPod from a New York City company, iPodmeister.com. I’ve probably turned on 20 to 30 of my friends to this.” |
 http://www.ipodmeister.com/  DCDreams Dan Chung |
 http://www.jwstudios.net/?p=323 I don’t know about everyone else, but all of my CDs have been in a storage building or the garbage for a few years now, turns out iPodMeister has been offering their services for about the same amount of time. The equation is simple, you send them your CDs, DVDs and BluRays, they send you an iPod (nano,touch,classic), check for an iPhone (so you can activate/register it) or a hard drive. Not only do they turn the non-biodegradable box loads lurking in your basement in to something of money or an iPod, but for a little more they’ll digitize all of your music and send it back to you on DVDs. Shipping is free, to and from, they’ll send you a label, you mail them a box. The only real stipulations are no scratches, complete cover art, and original jewel case (dusty, scratched or otherwise), no bootlegs, liquidations, etc. And BluRay discs count double. |
  http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/cjgizmo/2009_11_01_archive.html Clear your shelves, get an iPod Friday, November 13, 2009 If you're ready to go all-in and all-digital, there's a company that will let you trade your used CDs and DVDs for a brand new iPod or iPhone. For as few as 150 discs, iPodMeister will give you an iPhone 3G or a 1-terabyte hard drive. For 500 discs, you can get a 64GB iPod Touch. |
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 http://www.johnsjottings.com/archives/2009/03/29/ipodmeister_review.html iPodMeister Review by John | March 29, 2009 All in all, I had a great experience with iPodMeister and would highly recommend their service to anyone looking to make some cash or equipment from your boxed up CDs. |
 http://blog.chavez.ws/2008/12/ipodmeistercom-update.html |
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